Apparatus for striping textile fabrics



March 6, 1956 MATHEWSON ETAL 2,737,042

APPARATUS FOR STRIPING TEXTILE FABRICS Filed Jan. 7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet1 IN V EN TORS MERGER! R. MAr/mwsan, mnrsn m. House a y WILLIAM E. covmMar ie/.1.

March 6, 1956 H. R. MATHEWSON ETA!- 2,737,042

APPARATUS FOR STRIPING TEXTILE FABRICS Filed Jan. 7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet2 S N INVENTORS #588587 MATI/L'WJO/V, W417i? M HOUJC/f 5 y WILLIAM EC'Ol/l/V ATTORNEVJ United States Patent APPARATUS FOR STRIPING TEXTILEFABRICS Herbert R. Mathewson, Walter M. Housch, and William F. Covin,Lancaster, S. C., assignors to The Springs Cotton Mills, a corporationof South Carolina Application January 7, 1953, Serial No. 330,142

Claims. (Cl. 68202) This invention relates generally to the dyeing oftextile fabrics, and more particularly to means adapted for converting apad, such as is commonly used for dyeing textile fabrics in solidcolors, so that the pad may be operated to produce a striped pattern inthe dyed fabric, or otherwise produce striped effects in the fabric.

In copending application Serial No. 307,926, filed September 4, 1952,there is disclosed a method for stripe dyeing of textile fabrics byfirst applying an aqueous solution to the fabric in the pattern of thestriping desired and immediately thereafter saturating the entire fabricwith a second aqueous solution that prevents migration of the firstapplied striping solution and simultaneously dyes the remaining portionof the fabric if desired. The first applied striping solution may dyethe fabric too, if desired, but in any case it serves to resist dyeingby the second solution at the striped areas. Likewise, the secondapplied solution serves to resist migration of the first appliedsolution from the striped areas so that a sharply defined stripe patternis obtained, and it may also and usually will be employed to dye orcolor the remaining portions of the fabric.

The apparatus of the present invention constitutes means for carryingout the method of the above identified copending application. Generallycharacterized, this apparatus comprises, in combination with a pad ofthe type adapted for applying a solid color, or other overall liquidtreatment, to a continuous textile fabric web, at leastone applicatorroll mounted for rotation ahead of the pad entrance nip, means "forapplying a striping liquid or solution to the peripheral surface of theroll, means for training a fabric web across the peripheral surface ofthe applicator roll before entering the pad, and drive means forrotating the application roll independently of the operating speed ofthe pad.

This arrangement provides very effective means for successively applyingthe treating solutions as required :by the method disclosed in thepreviouslynoted copending application, and further allows this to bedone by a simple addition to a conventional pad withoutin any waymodifying the structure of the :pad or qualifying normal use of the padfor solid color dyeing of fabric webs when desired. Also, the apparatusof the present invention may-be used in the same general manner forother fabric striping treatments. For example, it may be used in thepreparation of pliss fabric by applying the striping'liquid ahead ofcaustic treatment in the pad, so that the caustic only acts to shrinkthe unstriped fabric areas, leaving the striped areas unshrunk andpuckered in the pliss manner.

These and other features of the apparatus of the present invention aredescribed in further detail below in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of apparatusembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a representative embodiment of means forapplying the striping liquid or solution in accordance with the presentinvention;

Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the clamping nuts shown in .Fig. 2 forthe applicator elements;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the clamping nut shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side face view of one of the applicator elements shown inFig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the applicator element shown in Pig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a side face view of one of the applicator element spacersshownin Fig. 2; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the spacer shown in Fig. 7.

Referring now in detail .to the drawings, and more particularly at firstto Fig. 1, a conventional three-roll pad arrangement is illustrated inFig. 1 as indicated generally by the reference numeral it), the pad boxbeing represented at 12 containing the treating solution to be appliedby the pad 3.0 in the usual manner at an entrance nip 14 to a textilefabric web trained therethrough. The three-roll pad arrangement 10 isshown in the drawings purely as a matter of illustration, for a two-rollarrangement might be used just as well, as the fabric web being treatedmay be trained directly through the entrance nip id in accordance withthe present invention as at W. Alternatively, the fabric web may be ledas at W around immersion rolls in and '13 arranged ahead of and beyondthe entrance nip l4, and then through the second or press nip 2% of thepad ill, or the web might be taken directly from the entrance nip lid tothe press nip 2%) without passing under the second immersion roll '18,the important point being that the pad it? maybe used according to thepresent invention as it will operate to the best advantage for thepurposes at hand. Beyond the entrance nip 14 or the press nip 20, thefabric web W .or W leaves the pad ill? to be directed through the usual.dye delevopment operations or other subsequent treatments that may berequired.

The textile fabric web W is commonly led into the pad it) over guiderolls, such as the guide roll 22 from which the web W is shown trainedto the previously mentioned pad entrance nip 14. Also, a speciallymounted guide roll 24 is preferably arranged for pivoting about amounting axis as indicated at 26 so that it may be lowered to thefull-line positionshown for operation in accordance with the presentinvention, as will be described further presently, or raised to thedotted line position shown for allowing normal operation of the pad 10,by any conventional means such as the adjusting worm arrangementillustrated at 27.

When the above noted guide roll 24 is lowered to its full-line position,as shown in Fig. 1, it serves to train the web W in relation toapplicator means provided according to the present invention, asindicated generally :by the reference numeral 28, for applying thepreviously mentioned striping solution to the web W from a fountain asat 30. The applicator means 28 comprises at least one roll or discelement, as will be described more fully below, which dips into thefountain 30 to pick up the striping solution on its peripheral surfacefrom which the solution is applied to the web 'W when it is trainedacross this peripheral surface by the lowered guide roll .24 as seen inFig. 1.

To provide for effecting this transfer of striping solution from theapplicator means 28 to the web W at the best advantage under particularcircumstances, theapplicator means 28 is arranged for rotationindependently of "the :pad 10, which is normally equipped with aconventional drive (not shown) for the roll stand it incorporates, andthe operating speed-of which determines the linear speed of travel forthe web W. The independent arrangement "for rotating the applicatormeans 28 suitably comprises a separate 'drive motor as at 32 in Fig. 1connected through a variable speed device as at 34 to rotate theapplicator means 28 by anyconvenient mechanical connection as indicatedat 36 in Fig. 1. Any other of the considerable number of speedadjustment devices commonly available might be used instead, and theoperating speed of the pad 19 might be varied to vary the rate of travelfor the web W with a constant speed of rotation for the applicator means23, if desired.

For some fabrics, effective transfer of striping solution can beobtained with the applicator means 28 rotating at a peripheral speedequal to the linear speed of travel of the web W and in the samedirection at the point of contact, but more usually the applicator means28 needs to be rotated at a differential speed, either slower or fasteror reversely, so that there is a wiping action of the web W across theperipheral surface of the applicator means 28 that enhances the stripingliquid transfer. The proper relative speed of rotation of the applicatormeans 28 with respect to the speed of travel of the web W also needs tobe regulated in relation to the nature of the striping solution beingtransferred by the applicator means 28 and the nature of the saturatingsolution employed in the pad If). The above described drivingarrangement for independently rotating the applicator means 23 allowsthis relative speed to be regulated nicely and easily for adjustment togiven conditions.

The structural arrangement of a representative embodiment of theapplicator means 28 of the present invention is illustrated in Figs. 2to 8, inclusive, of the drawings. As shown in Fig. 2 this arrangementsuitably comprises a mounting shaft 38 carried for rotation in pillowblocks as at 40 and having an extending end portion fitted with a pulley42 that is fixed thereon at a keyway 44 or the like to receive thedriving connection 36 from the variable speed drive 34. The pillowblocks 4% for the mounting shaft 38 are in turn supported on uprightframing elements 46 that are braced by a cross member 48 (which may alsoserve as a support for the striping solution fountain 30 shown in Fig.l) and are arranged to stand on bracket arms 50 which may be secured inextending relation from the frame structure (not shown) of the pad 10,or may form part of an independent frame structure (not shown) for theapplicator means 28, but which in either case serve to position theapplicator means 28 through the pillow blocks 40 and mounting shaft 38ahead of and adjacent to the entrance nip 14 of the pad 10 so thatfollowing application of the striping solution at the applicator means28 the web W is immediately subjected to the saturating solution at thepad entrance nip 14, as previously mentioned.

The applicator elements by which the striping solution is actuallyapplied to the web W at the applicator means 28 may take a variety offorms. At least one applicator element is needed in any case, andusually it will be desired to use a plurality of such elements as shownat 52 in Fig. 2 arranged on the mounting shaft 38 in a regularly spacedgroup by means of interposed spacing collars 54 (compare Figs. 7 and 8)and contained thereon between clamping nuts 56 (compare Figs. 3 and 4).The applicator elements 52 illustrated in Fig. 2 takes the form of discshaving a central opening 58 (see Figs. and 6) adapting them forarrangement on the mounting shaft 38.

These applicator elements 52 shown are relatively thin and accordinglypresent a restricted peripheral surface such as might be used in forminga pattern of regular spaced narrow stripes in a shirting broadcloth orthe like. The regularity or degree of the stripe spacing may be readilyvaried, however, by simply varying the dimensions or the interposednumber of the spacing collars 54, and the stripe width may also bevaried at will by varying the thickness of the discs 52. In addition,the peripheral surfaces of some or all of the discs 52 may be notched toproduce discontinuous stripes in the web W or varying line designs. Inshort, it will be recognized that the applicator elements52 in whatevershape or dimensions or spacing they may be provided operate uponrotation to dip in the striping solution fountain 30 and carry thissolution on their peripheral surfaces to the web W for producing stripedfabric in association with the pad 10 as previously described.

This invention has been described in detail above for purposes ofillustration only and is not intended to be limited by this descriptionor otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for striping textile fabrics comprising, in combinationwith a pad, at least one applicator roll mounted for rotation ahead ofand closely adjacent the entrance nip of said pad, means for applying astriping liquid to the peripheral surface of said roll, means fortraining a textile fabric web into said pad including a shiftable guideroll disposed ahead of said applicator roll and means for selectivelypositioning said roll to train said web directly to said pad andalternatively across the peripheral surface of said roll before enteringsaid pad, and drive means for rotating said applicator rollindependently of the operating speed of said pad.

2. Apparatus for striping textile fabrics comprising, in combinationwith a pad, a plurality of spaced applicator discs mounted for rotationon a common axis ahead of and closely adjacent the entrance nip of saidpad,

means for supplying striping liquid to the peripheries of said discs,means for training a textile fabric web into said pad including ashiftable guide roll disposed ahead or" said applicator roll and meansfor selectively positioning said roll to train said web directly to saidpad and alternatively across the peripheries of said discs beforeentering said pad, and drive means for rotating said applicator discsindependently of the operating speed of said pad.

3. Apparatus for stripe dyeing of textile fabrics comprising, incombination with a dyeing pad, a plurality of spaced applicator discsmounted for rotation on a common axis ahead of and adjacent to theentrance nip of said pad, means for supplying striping liquid to theperipheries of said discs, means for training a textile fabric web intosaid pad including a shiftable guide roll disposed ahead of saidapplicator roll and means for selectively positioning said roll to trainsaid web directly to said pad and alternatively across the peripheriesof said discs before entering said pad, and variable speed drive meansfor rotating said applicator discs independently of said pad, wherebythe peripheral speed of said discs may be regulated as desired inrelation to the rate of web travel through said pad.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising in combination with apad of the type adapted for applying an overall treatment to a textilefabric web, a plurality of spaced applicator discs mounted for rotationon a common axis ahead of and adjacent to the entrance nip of said pad,means for supplying an aqueous striping liquid to the peripheries ofsaid discs, means for training a textile fabric web into said padincluding a shiftable guide roll disposed ahead of said applicator rolland means for selectively positioning said roll to train said webdirectly to said pad and alternatively across the peripheries of saiddiscs before entering said pad, and means for rotating said applicatordiscs independently of the operating speed of said pad, whereby theperipheral speed of said discs may be determined as desired in relationto the rate of web travel through said pad.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising, in combination witha pad of the type adapted for applying a solid color to a textile fabricweb, a striping liquid fountain disposed ahead of and adjacent theentrance nip of said pad, a pluarlity of spaced applicator discs mountedfor rotation on a common axis with the peripheries thereof dipping insaid fountain, means for training a textile fabric web into said padincluding a shiftable guide roll disposed ahead of said applicator rolland means for selectively positioning said roll to train said webdirectly to said pad and alternatively across the peripheries of saiddiscs before entering said pad, and means for rotating said applicatordiscs independently of the operating speed of said pad, whereby adesired peripheral speed of said discs may be obtained in relation 5 tothe rate of web travel through said pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS521,816 Reffitt June 26, 1894 10 6 Lowe Nov. 7, Walstead Ian. 25, CohoeJuly 12, Sidebotharn Dec. 27, Bergstein Sept. 12, Whitehead Jan. 25,Bryce May 24, King Apr. 18, Buck Sept. 7, Kagen July 12,

